Butter Carving at Ohio State Fair

After making butter carvings of cows for 36 years, Dan Ross decided to create a final carving of himself with the cow in 1999. Photo Credit: Mike Munden – The Columbus Dispatch

Let’s add butter carving to our growing list of decorative food creations. In the past few weeks, we’ve taken a look at the creative ways that lattes, watermelons and pizza can be used to make amazing food art.

Last month, while researching our blog about the upcoming food art festivals, we discovered the spectacular butter carving display at the Ohio State Fair. This year’s fair took place from July 24 to August 4, 2013.

Ohio State Fair Celebrates Over 100 Years of Butter Carving

Butter carving is not a new form of food art the Ohio State Fair. Since the early 1900s, various sculptors have used butter to create a cow. This traditional butter cow made its first appearance in 1903 and has been joined by various other butter creations over the years.

Bob Kling adds some last minute touches to his butter Furby in 2000 at the Ohio State Fair. Photo Credit: Doral Chenowith – The Columbus Dispatch

Two teenagers work on the butter cow at the Ohio State Fair in 2006. Photo Credit: Eric Albrect – The Columbus Dispatch

At last year’s bicentennial celebration, the cow stood alongside a calf and a birthday cake. Composed out of 1,900 pounds of butter, these three sculptures took 451 hours to create. The butter carvings stood on display in a 45-degree cooler in the dairy building the entire length of the fair before being melted and used to power utility vehicles at Mount Vernon Nazarene University.

The Ohio State Fair bicentennial birthday cake made out of butter in 2012. Photo Credit: Associated Press.

Unveiling to the 2013 Ohio State Fair “Secret” Butter Sculpture

Butter Carving Displays at State Fairs Across the United States

If you don’t live near Ohio, there are other options for seeing these remarkable butter carvings. Many state fairs throughout the United States feature this specialized form of food art. From Iowa to Minnesota, a variety of animals, people and other objects are molded out of butter and put on display. Google your local state fair and butter carving to see if there’s a display in your area.

About Nita Gill

Nita Gill has been producing detailed, high quality, step-by-step video lessons that teach the art of fruit carving since 2009. Nita has won competitions, judged competitions, appeared on TV and has even carved at the White House. She is pleased to now have thousands happy carving customer/ students in over 60 countries who have taken her video lesson that are designed like live classes, answering the questions that you'll have as you learn to carve.

What Customer/Students are Saying about Nita’s Lessons

“Well our Food Art day came and went and I felt it was a huge success. The employees got involved and the residents enjoyed looking at our creations.”Diane

Diane Keegan- Virginia, USA

“Kudos to you Nita! Thank you so much for the convenience you are offering through your videos and online lessons for us carving fans. I have been collecting tools and books on fruit and vegetable carving for several years now and you are right about some things. Some books are in another language although they have a sequence of photos but even still it’s hard to grasp the flow from beginning to end. It doesn’t compare to watching someone do it. I even traveled with my daughter to take a class out of state but, it was expensive and it was just one class. Your site makes it so convenient because, as you stated, I can view the lessons any time from the comfort of my home which eliminates all the issues involved with traveling and accomodations. Your lessons are just as good as having you here with me in person. You teach clearly, thoroughly and at an easy to follow pace. I love what you have done! This was my birthday gift from my husband by the way. Oh, and I made the watermelon cake from the free lesson for my son’s 25th birthday (because he doesn’t like cake)and it was a hit with him and everyone who saw it. Thank you, thank you! I can’t thank you enough! Keep up the great work! Happy Carving!”

Wanda Olmedo- Pennsylvania

“I wanted to share with you some of the carvings I did for my daughters bridal shower. Your carvings were an inspiration to my carvings. Thank you for your time.” Evelyn

About The Author

Nita is inviting you into the world of fruit and vegetable carving. You'll join thousands of others who've become watermelon carving and fruit carving experts using Nita's simple and easy-to-follow food art instructions! Her how to garnish & melon carving video lessons will show you how to sculpt beautiful fruit bouquets & arrangements! Create spooky pumpkin carving creations this Halloween.